Taoist Bioethics: Living and Dying According to the Natural Way

Taoism is the world’s oldest continually practiced religion, primarily found today in China, Taiwan, and Japan, and yet practically nothing has been written about what a bioethics based on the principles of Taoism might look like. I will take up this question, focusing on the core beliefs of spiritual Taoism, and exploring what a medical ethic based on these principles would entail.

Some of the key virtues in Taoism are naturalness and “non-action”. It may appear that such values would indicate an attitude of non-intervention where medical treatment is necessary. I will argue, however, that these concepts are inherently flexible and therefore able to be interpreted according the time and place in which a Taoist lives.

We also find in Taoism the belief in the Yin Yan. This is the idea that the universe consists in complementary forces which appear to be opposites, but actually support each others’ existence. In accepting the apparently dichotomous nature of our existence and by knowing our place within the ever-turning wheel, we can find peace. Taoism also emphasizes the importance of filial piety, the respect for one’s older family members.

Taking all this together yields a clear picture of a Taoist’s approach to medicine— use the tools available (including any technologies and treatments) but also have enough self-awareness to understand and accept when there is no more to be done. I will use these ideas to discuss the issues of voluntary euthanasia and choosing to end treatment. I will argue that both can be seen as natural under the Taoist conception, despite the fact that it is in some sense “artificial”. Filial piety, in particular, requires us to care for our elders, and in light of other Taoist virtues, “care” can be taken to include complying with a family member’s will to die. A thoughtful use of such methods aligns with following the course of nature, the Taoist concept of non-action, and knowing where one falls in the Yin Yan.